Newcastle United have reportedly identified Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen as a potential transfer target for the summer window.
Last year, Christensen took the opportunity to end his long-term association with Chelsea to make the switch to Camp Nou as a free agent.
While the 26-year-old has not necessarily established himself as a first-team regular, he has played an important role in Xavi's squad.
As many as 21 starts and four substitute outings have been made in all competitions, 16 of his appearances coming in La Liga which Barcelona lead by 12 points.
However, Barcelona's financial issues have effectively left all but a minority of players being made available for transfer later in 2023.
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The Catalan giants must raise £177m through sales and cutbacks before they can add to their squad ahead of 2023-24, and they will likely have to get creative in the market.
According to Sport, Newcastle are currently considering a surprise move for Christensen as they bid to strengthen their backline.
Although Fabian Schar and Sven Botman are regarded as the clear first-choice pairing by Eddie Howe, the Magpies require alternatives, particularly if they earn European qualification.
As it stands, the North-East outfit possess the best defensive record in the Premier League, raising the question over whether any central-defensive addition would immediately break into the first XI.
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The report adds that Barcelona are currently not interested in allowing Christensen to move to the North East of England, while Christensen would prefer to remain with the Spanish giants.
Nevertheless, it is suggested that the situation could change, particularly in the event of a big Newcastle bid, over the coming months.
Having signed Christensen as a free agent, any sale would go down as pure profit in the books of Barcelona, something which would significantly benefit them over selling a player who they paid a fee for in the past.
Christensen possesses a contract at Barcelona which takes him through to the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Darren Plant
